Cutter chain



l.. E. slMMoNs July l, 1952 CUTTER CHA'IN Original Filed Jan. 5, 1946 5Sheets-Sheet Il July 1, 1952 L. E. SIMMONS CUTTER CHAIN Original FiledJan. 5, 1946 July 1, 1952 l.. E. SIMMONS 2,601,978

CUTTER CHAIN Original Filed Jan. 5, 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 6 mi MI5" MI M22 @D muli, u (0 any Patented July 1, 1952 CUTTER CHAIN Leon E. Simmons,deceased,vlayte of Claremont, N. H., by Gladys L. Simmons,administratrix,

Claremont, N.

H.; said Leon E. Simmons assignor4 to Joy Manufacturing Company, a cor--poration of Pennsylvania Continuation of application Serial No. 639,344,

January 5, 1946. This 1951, Serial No. 209,74

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to cutter chains and to kerf-cutting devicesofthe cutter chain type, and more particularly to improvements inkerfcutting devices including a cutter-bit-carryingcutter chain designedfor use in the mining of coal. Y Y In cutter chains used for miningpurposes, it has been found that guiding of the chain blocks alongparallel inner and vouter guide surfaces on the cutter bar is desirable.In chain con-A structions heretofore provided, it was found practicallyimpossible to guide the chain blocks along parallel inner and outerguide surfaces Without considerable loss Iof efficiency due to binding.Also, frequently kbut one of the inner and outer guidesurfaces-functioned, resulting in inadequate guiding of the chain.Further, in previous known devices considerable diculty has beenencountered in the proper clearing away of the cuttings, causing thelatter to pack in between the cutter chain and the cutter bar, resultingin a great loss in efficiency. In known types of cutter chains, thechain blocks are usually made up in a single piece, so that the cost ofreplacement is comparatively high. Also, to change the lacing of thecutter bits it is necessary completely to detach the blocks from thestrap links. l

An object of the present invention is to provide animproved cutterbar-cutter chain arrangement which, to a substantial extent, overcomesthe disadvantages of previous known structures. Another object is toprovide an improved cutter chain-cutter bar combination wherein the loadstresses "transmitted to the chain guides are evenly distributed over arelatively wide area.

v'Still another object is to provide an improved cutterbar-cutter chaincombination wherein the chain blocks', as they pass around the curvedouter end 'of the cutter bar, tend -to scrape off the cuttings, insteadof digging into and pocketing'the cuttings, thereby serving to clear itsown path.

A further object is to provide an improved cutter chain incorporating atrailer link structure wherein the lug which carries the cutter bittrails along with respect to the base of the chain block in engagementwith the outer surface of the cutter bar both during movement along thestraight advancing side and during movement around the curved forwardend of thebar.

How these and other objects are accomplished, and the advantageousfeatures of the invention, will be bestunderstood from the followingdetailed description wherein a preferred and illus application February7, 6

trative embodiment is disclosed, reference for the purpose being had tothe accompanying drawings, inwhich: s

Fig.v 1 is a fragmentary plan'view-of thefrward end of a cutter barequipped with an illustrative form of the improved cutter chain.

Fig. 2 is a detail' sectional'view taken substantially on line 2'-2 ofFig. 1. v' f I i Fig. 3 is a'view partially in lelevation and'par tiallyin longitudinalsecti'on illustrating details of the improved cutterchain.

Fig. 4 is across-sectional View tially on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. n

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken substan tially on line 5 5 ofFig. 3. A

Fig. 6 isa longitudinal sectional viewltaken substantially on line Al`lof Fig. 3.

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspective views of the side parts of one of thechain blocks. y

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the pivotedblock lug.

Fig. 10 isa perspective View of one of the strap links.

Fig. v11-1is ahorizontalsectional View taken through the rearwardportion o f the cutter chain and showing the chainl drive sprocket. n 'fY Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view takenH substantially on lineI2-v-l2 of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a detail sectional View taken substantiallyon line l3-l3 ofFig. 1 1.

This application is a continuation of my co pending application, SerialNo. 639,344, led January 5, 1946 as a continuation of my earlierapplication Serial No. 466,994, filed November 26, 1942, and nowabandoned. n

InA the illustrative embodiment of the invention there is shown a cutterbar I having a guide taken substanchannel 2 extending about its margininv which guide channel a cutter chain, generally designated 3, isguided for circulation in an orbital path. Arranged at the rear end ofthe cutter bar' is a chain drive sprocket 4 of a novel design, whichengages and drives lthe cutterr chain in a manner to be more fullyexplained, v,and this sprocket is driven by a shaft 5 to which itiskeyed. The cutter bar I has a straight advancing side A and an arcuateforward end F, the

latter conforming to an arc of a radius equalv to one-half the width ofvthe barin the arrangement illustrated. ,Y

The cutter chain 3 comprises-a seriesof chain blocks 6 pivotallyconnected by hinge pinsT to connecting or strap links 8. `Each of thechaink blocks has pivotallfr` mounted on its base, on'a transverse hinge0, a trailer lug Hl havlnga' socket II. The hinge axes are parallel tothe axes of the hinge pins 1. Arranged in the lug socket is a detachableholder I2 for a cutter bit I3 of ther double-ended throwaway type. A setscrew I4 arranged at the rear side of the lug engages the holder forclamping the cutter bit in cutting position with its front face restingagainst a front abutment surface I5 on the trailer lug. The speciccutter bit and its mounting and holding means need not be described indetail, as any suitable bit and mounting therefor on the trailer lug maybe employed. The trailer lug hinge 9 includes a rivet I6 arranged midwaybetween the block hinge pins 1, and surrounding this rivet is a bushingI1 (Fig. 4) extending between separate side parts K I8, I8 of the baseof the block. The block parts I8, as shown in Figs. '1 and 8, havelateral gibs I9 which are slidably received in the guide channel 2 ofthe cutter bar, and each block part has'a rearwardly projecting portion20 adapted abuttingly to engage at 2| vfrontabutment surfaces on thepivoted block part I0. The cooperation of these surfaces will preventthe `vturning over ofthe `lugs when the chain is reversely driven infreeing the latter. The g pivotedl lug part of each block has lateralguide flanges 22 having wide inner guidesurfaces 23 which slidinglyengage at 24 the straight outer peripheral surface of the cutter bar.`Due to the pivotal mountings for the ftrailer block lugs, the guideflanges 22 will not have any binding engagement with the peripheralbarsurface, this resulting from the provision of-soxnefreedom ofmovement of the outer guide surfaces ofthe block with respect to theinner `guide surfaces. It will thus be seen that by pivotally mountingthe block parts which carry the outer guides 22, the chain load stressesare more'evenly distributed over a relatively wide area, and unduecanting cf-the blocks, as the chain travels around the cutter bar, issubstantially prevented, thereby decreasing to a substantial extent thepossibility of binding'or jamming of the chain. Also,further vto reducebinding, the pivoted cutter carrying lugs as they tend totiltbackwardsvtend to raise the side parts lI8, I8 of the blocks in theirguides. As the cutter chain passes around the curved outer end of thecutter bar, in the manner shown in Fig. 1, the lugs rest, as at a: inFig. 1, on the bases of the blocks, with the forward ends of the innersurfaces 23 of the guide flanges 22 on the lugs engaging the outersurfaces of the cutter bar at 25, so that the cuttings are-scraped offthe bar by the chain, instead of the latter digging into and pocketingthe cuttings. `Thus the -novel cutter chain serves to clear its ownApath as it passes around the curved end of the cutter bar and aroundthe chain drive sprocket.

Asabove described, each chain .block includes three main parts, namelythe separate side parts I8, I8 and the pivoted trailer lug part ID whichcarries-the cutter bit, andthese parts are,. in part, held in assembledrelation by the hinge pins 1. These hinge pins have suitable releasablelocks-2,.which are fully described in a patent of I-I. H. Vanderzee, No.2,365,229, granted December 19,1944. The hinge rivets I6, as Vshown inFig. 4 are headed over as at 21 within conical bores in the outer sidesof the blocks, and these rivets also aid in holding the block partstogether. The strap links 8 are arranged between the side parts of thechain blocks in the manner shown in Fig. 6, and the trailer lugs havedepending portions 28 projecting into the barv channel at the oppositesides of the strap links. Thus the trailer lugs straddle the strap linksand may, at times, rest at the points 29 on the strap links to preventbuckling of the chain. The portions .28 are curvedvat their inner sidesat 28 for engagement at s: with the side parts I8 of the blocks as thechain passes around the curved outer end of the bar and around the chainsprocket.

Now referring to Figs. 11, 12 and 13, it will be noted that th'e chaindrive sprocket 4 is made up of three main parts comprising side plates3U, 30 and an intermediate plate 3I, and these plates areheld togetheras by rivets 32. Each of these plates has sprocket teeth, and the sideplates have sprocket teeth 33 which are shaped to engage the curved ends34 of the chain blocks. Thev intermediate plate has sprocket teeth 35staggered with respect to the side plate teeth and shaped to engage thecurved end surfaces 36 of thel strap links. Thus certain of the sprocketteeth concurrently engage both thevstrap linksV andthe blocks, resultingin a more efficient chain drive; The curved surfaces 28' of the portions28vof the lugs are shaped to conform to the curved end surfaces 34 ofthe side parts of the chain blocks and are adapted to rest against thesurfaces34 in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 11 as they pass around thecurved end of the bar and around the chain sprocket. l

As the cutter chain is driven by the sprocket andis rapidly circulatedin its orbit about the margin of the cutter bar, the trailer block lugsas they pass around the chain drive sprocket in a curvedV path arepositioned, in the manner shown infFig. 1l, so that the cuttings areeiectively thrown outwardly' with a shovel-like action,there by reducingthe possibility of clogging. VAs the cutter chain travels about thecutter bar, the gibs I9 on the bases of the chain blocks and the guidesurfaces on lthe guide anges 22 of the pivoted trailer lugs concurrentlyengage the inner and outer guide surfaces ofthe cutter bar, sodthat gthechain load stresses are distributed overa relatively wide area. Bypivotally mounting the-trailerf lugs on the bases of the chain blocks,binding ofthe chain is substantially prevented. By pivotally arrangingthe trailer lugs as herein disclosed, with the lateral guide anges 22located wholly-to the rear of the pivots 9, and

positioning the pivots at a proper elevation withy respect to thebottoms of the base portions or chain blocks 6,-.the full areas ofthesurfaces 23 may contact as at 24. with the straight advancing side ofthe bar as the blocks move outwardly of` the bar along the latter, and,as clearance is provided as the blocks pass around the arcuateA end ofthe bar, the guide flanges may drop inwardly slightly and engage withtheir forward ends the curved end surfaces on the bar while engagementat a: between the surfaces 28 and the curved ends 34 of the side partsI8 provides support for the lug I0 when the flanges 22 are in scrapingrelation to the cutter bar. Also, by pivotally mounting the trailer lugswhich carry the cutter-bits on the bases of the chain blocks, it ispossible, simply by removing the rivets I6, to rearrange the trailerlugs on the different blocks, thereby facilitating lacing ofthe cutterbits in an obvious manner. l

As a result of this invention it will that an improved structure isprovided resulting in the more eicient cutting of coal.v It will also benoted that by particular arrangement of the, guide surfaces on the chainblocks and by pivotalbe noted ly mounting the trailer block lugs on thebases of the vchain blocks, the chain load stresses are more evenly'distributed over a relatively wide area. Further, by constructing'thechain blocks inthe ymanner disclosed; the cuttings are eiectivelycleared away; thereby reducing the possibility of clogging. Otheradvantages of the imbase portion, and a cutter bit carrying lug pivotsally mounted onsaid base portion for swinging movement with respectthereto and projecting rearwardly with respect to said base portion,said lug carrying a cutter bit in a cutting position near the rear endof said block and having forwardly facing abutment surfaces located asubstantial distance rearwardly of the lug pivot, said block baseportion having projections at the opposite sides of said lug andextending outwardly and rearwardly with respect to the lug pivot, saidprojections providing rearwardly facing abutment surfaces on theirrearward extremitieswith which said forwardly facing abutment surfaceson said pivoted lug are engageable to limit outward swinging movement ofsaid lug, and means for maintaining said lug in a position relative tosaid base portion in which said bit is in a cutting position.

2. In a cutter chain, a chain block comprising a base portion, and acutter bit carrying lug pivotally mounted on said base portion forswinging movement with respect thereto and projecting rearwardly withrespect to said base portion, said lug carrying a cutter bit in acutting position near the rear end of said block and having forwardlyfacing abutment surfaces located a substantial distance rearwardly ofthe lug pivot, said block base portion having projections at theopposite sides of said lug and extending outwardly and rearwardly withrespect to the lug pivot, said projections providing rearwardly facingabutment surfaces on their rearward extremities with which saidforwardly facing abutment surfaces on said pivoted lug are engageable tolimit outward swinging movement of said lug, said abutment surfacesbeing so arranged and positioned that when they are in engagement saidcutter bit is in cutting position with respect to saidblock-base-portion.

3. In combination, a cutter bar having a straight, advancing side andstraight guide surfaces extending along said side and also having acurved forward end with curved surfaces thereon in the same series ofplanes as said straight guide surfaces, said curved surfaces conformingto arcs struck with radii equal to one-half the width of the cutter barat its forward end, from points midway between the sides of said bar, acutter chain guided on the said bar, and means for effecting circulationof said cutter chain upon said cutter bar, said cutter chain including aplurality of chain blocks each having a base portion and a bit-carryinglug pivotally mounted on said base portion in trailing relation theretofor swinging movement with respect thereto, said bar having surfacesbetween and inwardly disposed with respect to said straight-,guidesurfaces and said curved surfaces engaged by said base portions' duringcirculation of the' chain, and said lugs having laterally spaced guidesurfaces disposed whollyto the rear ofthe pivotal connection betweensaid lugs' and said base portions and engaging said straight guidesurfaces throughoutv their own lengths as they traverse said straightguide surfaces and engaging said curved surfacesbut only at their ownforward ends, while-passing around the forward lend of said bar, vsaidlugs and the rearward ends of said base portions with whichthey arepivotally'con'- nected having'surfacesv mutually engaged with each otherand supporting said lugs in the position in which only the forward endsof the guide surfaces on said lugs engage said'curved surfaces. i 4. Incombination, a cutter bar having a straight, advancing side and straightguide surfaces extending along said side and also having a curvedforward endwith curved surfacesthereon in the same series of planes assaid straight guide surfaces, said curved surfaces conforming tolarcsstruck, with radii equal to one-half the width of the cutter bar at itsforward end, from points midwaybetween the sidesof said bar, a cutterchain guided on the said bar, and'means for effecting circulation ofsaid cutter chain upon said cutter bar, sai-d cutterehain including aplurality of` chain blocks each having a base portion and a bit-carryinglug pivotally mounted on said base portion in trailing relation theretofor swinging movement with respect thereto, said bar having surfacesbetween and inwardly disposed with respect to said straight guidesurfaces and said curved surfaces engaged by sai-d base portions duringcirculation of the chain, and said lugs having laterally spaced guidesurfaces disposed wholly to the rear of the pivotal connection betweensaid lugs and said base portions and engaging said straight guidesurfaces throughout their own lengths as they traverse said straightguide surfaces and engaging said curved surfaces, but only at their ownforward ends, while passing around the forward end of said bar, saidlugs and the rearward ends of said base portions with which they arepivotally connected having surfaces mutually engaged with each other andsupporting said lugs in the position of the latter in which only theforward ends of the guide surfaces on said lugs engage said curvedsurfaces, said f mutual engagement being to the rear of forward ends ofsaid guide surfaces on said lugs.

5. In combination, a cutter bar having a straight, advancing side andstraight guide surfaces extending along said side and also having acurved end with curved surfaces thereon, the straight guide surfaceslying in planes tangent to the curvedsurfaces, a cutter chain, and meansfor effecting circulation of said cutter chain upon said cutter bar,said cutter chain including a plurality of chain blocks each having abase portion and a bit-carrying lug pivotally mounted on said baseportion for swinging movement with respect thereto, said lugs havingelongated guide surfaces slidingly engaging said straight guide surfaceswith extended surface contact during movement of said lug along saidstraight side of the cutter bar and engaging said surfaces only at theirown forward ends during movement of said lug over the latter, and saidbase portion and said lug having surfaces spaced to the rear of the axisof pivotal mounting of the lug on the base portion and to the rear ofthe forward ends of said guide surfaces on the lug engaged with eachotherwhen said guide surfaces on said lug overlie said curved surfacesand supporting said guide surfaces on said lug with their forward endsonly in contactwith said curved surfaces.

6. In combination, a cutter bar having a straight, advancing side andstraight guide surfaces extending along said side and also having acurved end with curved surfaces thereon, the straight guide surfaceslying in planes tangent to the curved surfaces, a cutter chain, andmeans for effecting circulation of said cutter chain upon said cutterbar, said cutter chain including a plurality of chain blocks each havinga base portion and a bit-carrying lug pivotally mounted on said baseportion in trailing relation thereto for swinging movement with respectthereto, said lug having guide surfaces slidingly engaging said straightguide surfaces with extended surface contact during movement of said lugalong said straight side of the cutter bar, and said base portion andsaid lug having surfaces spaced to the rear of the axis of pivotalmounting of the lug on the base portion engaged with each other whensaid guide surfaces on said lug overlie said curved surfaces andsupporting Said guide surfaces `on said lug with their forward ends onlyin Contact with said curved surfaces.

7. In combination, 'a cutter bar having an arcuate forward end and astraight advancing edge providing surfaces successively acting as guidesfor chain elements traversing the bar, and a cutterchain including aplurality of chain blocks each having a base portion and a bit-carryinglug pivotally mounted on said base portion in trailing relation to thelatter for limited swinging movement with respect to it, each of saidlugs having an elongated straight guide surface lying to the rear of itspivotal connection with the base portion to which it is pivotallyconnected and successively engaging, (a) with contact only at its ownforward end, the guide surface provided by said arcuate portion, and(b)A with extended surface contact along its length, the guide surfaceprovided by said straight advancing edge, and said chain blocks eachhaving mutually engaging surfaces adjacent the rear end of said baseportion and formed respectively on the latter anden said lug forsupporting the lug with respect to the base portion during engagement(a) above.

' GLADYS L. SIMMONS. Administmtri of the Estate of Leon E. Simmons,

Deceased.

No references cited.

